Overdue
by theanonymouslibrarians
Summary: After the events of, "The Gift of the Emperor," Raffles gets an unsurprising visit. (TV verse)


Overdue

By theanonymouslibrarians

Note: I do not own Raffles or any of its characters. This is dedicated to Victor Carin, who was the best (and actually only) Mackenzie I've ever seen. People always talk about Raffles interesting relationship with Bunny, but I think that Raffles and Mackenzie's relationship (at least in the tv show) was just as interesting and infinitely more complex (and even had it's rather slashy moments).

The doorbell rang, waking Raffles from what he viewed as a well-earned rest. The affair with Von Heumann and the pearl had been much more taxing than he would have believed. Still, the benefit of being a crickateer with no other profession (at least no public one) was that Raffles could have a lie in whenever he wished. Except for when certain Scotland Yard Inspectors came around to knock him up. Rolling over, Raffles glanced out his window and saw that it was still dark. Even for Mackenzie this was early.

The bell rang again. Sighing, Raffles swung his feet over the side of the bed and got up. He hastily pulled on his robe and headed for the door..

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" He called when the bell rang for the third time."Inspector Mackenzie!" He said, throwing the door open. "To what do I owe this-"

The Inspector pushed passed him and made his way into Rafles' sitting room. "I think we both know why I'm here, Mr. Raffles."

"I see," Raffles followed him in, "so there was some house burgled in some part of the world and naturally you assumed that I must be-"

"What, Mr. Raffles," Inspector Mackenzie said, with an irritated scowl, "is this?" He withdrew a small object from his pocket and held it between his thumb and index finger in front of Raffles' face.

Raffles bent closer, squinting his eyes to see better. "Well, it looks like a pearl. Won't you sit down, Inspector?"

Judging by the expression on Mackenzie's face, one would think Raffles had insulted his parentage. "I know it's a pearl, Mr. Raffles, and no I will _not_ sit _down_!"

"Ah, well, I hope you don't mind if I do." The crickateer dropped in a lazy sprawl onto his sofa. "You see, I've had a rather stressful week and-"

"In fact," the Inspector continued, "it is the same pearl that you stole from Von Heumman!"

"Hypothetically." Raffles interjected.

"And do you know where 'twas I found it?"

"I don't have the slightest idea. You'll have to forgive me. It's rather early and my mind-"

"I found it on my night table!"

"You don't say!" Raffles gasped. It was a struggle to keep the grin from his face. He had been rather proud of that job. It had been no easy feat to break into the Inspector's house, place his little gift inches from the sleeping man's face, and then sneak back out undetected "Well, that _is_ a mystery! But possession is nine points of the law, so I suppose the pearl is yours now. Are you going to sell it or give it back to Von Heumann?"

Instead of looking relieved or jubilant, Mackenzie looked affronted. "I ken the law, Mr. Raffles. What I don't know is why I was given the pearl."

"Oh, well as for that," Raffles shrugged, "you would have to ask the one who took it. I don't suppose-"

"Damn, you Mr. Raffles, I know that only you could have sent me that pearl, and I want to know why!"

"Well, I can only speak hypothetically of course."

Mackenzie practically growled at that. "I-"

Raffles decided it was time to humor the Inspector. If he didn't, the cracksman wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't need to call Scotland Yard to report an assault by one of its officers. "But if I hypothetically stole the pearl, the least I could do would be to send it to you." The nonplussed look Mackenzie gave Raffles showed the crickateer that he didn't understand. Raffles gave him a grin, but there was no mocking or humor it it, now. "Well, you see Mackenzie, you showing up when you did and escorting Von Heumann from my apartment very likely saved both my life and that of Bunny's. That's the second time you've showed up just in the nick of time, the first being when Corbucci very nearly killed me. Hypothetically speaking, if I had a pearl which I knew you wanted, then sending it to you would be the least I could do to say thank you."

As he'd spoken the rage seemed to drain from Mackenzie. Now, the Inspector was looking at him with an odd mixture of bemusement and wariness. "Mr. Raffles, I'm not in the mood for playin' games. If this-"

"I'm serious, Mackenzie." Raffles let the smile drop from his face so that the Inspector knew just how serious he was. "If it weren't for you, I would be dead. What's worse, _Bunny_ , would be dead, and I hope you know by now that I value his life much more than my own. I would be a cad if I hadn't…" He swallowed, glanced at the floor, and then back up. "Well, I am grateful and some thanks is overdue."

"I was just doin' my job, Mr. Raffles." There was none of the usual venom in his voice. "I swear on my mother's grave I will see you brought to justice for the thefts you've committed, but make no mistake, I want you imprisoned, not dead."

"I know, but it would be a poor show of thanks if... _if_ I had something you so desperately wanted and, after you saved my skin I didn't give it to you."

Mackenzie smiled, a bit bitterly, "I think we both know that it wasn't the pearl I wanted."

Raffles returned the grin "Yes, well, I'm afraid you can't have the thing you want the most."

"One day."

"Perhaps. But in the meantime, I hope you won't mind if I get some rest? Not all of us are used to getting up before the crack of dawn."  
Mackenzie nodded, turning to leave. "As you wish, Mr. Raffles. I'll show myself out. Just ensure that I don't need to pay ya' a visit anytime soon."

"But, Inspector, who would keep you entertained if I-" The door shut before Raffles could finish his sentence.

Ah, well! The cracksman laughed. He wasn't really going to commit any crimes; not today at least. He'd give that to Mackenzie, too. It was bad enough the chap had to wake up before the sun was out; Raffles supposed he could give the man _one_ day off. Especially when his bed was calling.


End file.
